You Set My Soul Alight
by AceOfSpades-14
Summary: Collab with hotlyinfatuated. you can find love in strange places, but people at opposite ends of the criminal spectrum, can they attract? OOC. AU-AH. Profanities and smut.
1. Chapter 1

"God damn it James, get the dogs fucking started already! Hale's already been in here annoying me about it."

I pinched the bridge of my nose between his thumb and forefinger. My new assistant was slow and nervous. Not what I needed at all.

"R-right, sir. I'll go and inform them r-right away," the fool stuttered.

I nodded curtly as he scurried away, then as soon as he was out of earshot, screamed, "Who fucking screened that fool! I need people who are efficient, not stuttering and stammering! Jesus Christ!"

"Maybe if you didn't frighten them into submission, they would be more capable."

My half sister, Alice Brandon, smirked up at me from the corner. She was as blessed with the family genes as I was; striking blue eyes, high cheekbones, long lustrous ebony hair.

I smirked right back at her; another genetic trait we inherited was the typical arrogance of our mother; proud and haughty, no one had been surprised when both Alice and I possessed the same trait.

"If I can frighten them into submission, they clearly aren't very good in the first place," I shot back, eager to have a verbal wit match with my sister. She just rolled her eyes and got up, dusting imaginary lint off her skirt with her manicured nails.

"I'm going to find some unsuspecting punter to buy me a drink. Make sure my dog wins this round. As usual." My sibling glanced at me with questioning eyes and I nodded, to show her that I understood. She strode out of the room.

I was well aware my sister did not go downstairs just to see the drunk punters, but also to hit on Mr Jasper Hale. He was married, I was aware, to a striking young lady already - I knew her father, he was a good bettor - but that meager fact certainly didn't stop my sister and Jasper fucking like rabbits every time they saw each other.

Which was often, thanks to the club that Alice and I ran together, of which Mr Hale was a very good, loyal customer. Much to my chagrin.

"Sir?"

I turned to see that my measly assistant had come back in. I sighed. "Yes James?"

"The first round has begun...Dodger is winning, and Mr Hale says thank you for the dog..." he trailed off, hesitating and cringing, and I knew there was something else he was leaving out, something else he wasn't saying.

"What is it?"

James fidgeted. "Well...it's very rude, I'm sorry, sir...he also said to thank you for giving him the opportunity of fucking your sister."

I clenched my fists; Hale was really pushing his luck. I cared about my sister deeply - she was the only woman I did care for - and Jasper was dangerously close to getting a beating from me, for using such foul language straight to my face, and goading me deliberately.

"Was that all?" I would keep my temper under control...this time.

"Your sister...she laughed, at that comment, and whispered something to Mr Hale in French. It all seemed very...risque. I couldn't understand the French, of course, I don't have that gift. But your sister..." he trailed off, and I could once again tell the fool had slipped up, because he bit his lip hurriedly, falling silent as though the idiot had been struck down by God himself.

"My sister...what?" I repeated slowly, falsely calm. I was the shark leading in the baby seal.

James smiled uncertainly, deceptively thinking that he wasn't skating on very thin ice. Besides me, Emmett twitched with well-concealed laughter.

Little did the fool know.

"Your sister, she is very risque, very...promiscuous."

My right hand fisted, swung out, and connected with James' jaw. James let out a cry of pain and fell to the floor, clutching his mouth with both hands.

I loomed over him, lethal. James stared up at me with wide eyes. "Don't ever use the words promiscuous in the same sentence with my sister again, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"

My voice had risen until I was screaming and James nodded, wincing painfully.

"Good." I kicked him lightly. "Now get the fuck out of my establishment. You're fired. Oh, and if you go to the police, Emmett will be visiting you." I gestured to the burly, heavily muscled man who was sitting in a chair in the corner, arms crossed, silent up until now. Emmett flexed his arms threateningly, and stared down at James. "Comprehend?"

James nodded once again and scrambled up, running for the door.

I collapsed back into my chair and flipped the television on, turning to the matches that were playing out right now, agitated. _Fuck. _

Emmett coughed pointedly. I frowned and turned to him. "You think I was too harsh?"

Emmett thought for a minute. "No, I just think you shouldn't have fired him. People like that...well they squeal, and that guy was smart enough - is smart enough - to consider police protection. You have to be cautious."

I considered Emmett's words. He had a point: James could run to the police. But then I decided it didn't matter; I owned the Head of Department down there. Nothing would come of it.

"Eh, fuck it. He's a slimy piece of shit. He deserved to get fired."

"But for that?" Emmett raised an eyebrow at me.

"You think I overreacted? That is my sister."

"Yes, but admit it, she can be a little...wild. Don't get angry at me, you know it's the truth."

"I wasn't going to get angry."

I truly wasn't. Emmett was loyal and had worked with me for many years. I wasn't that stupid as to throw him out just because he had said my sister was wild.

It was true, anyway. I had caught my sister partying wildly on more than one occasion, and countless times I had been her rescuer from drunk, horny gropers trying to grab a feel. But she had changed since she was with Jasper Hale; I hated to admit it, but she had become easier to control.

"I'm heading out, Emmett." I needed to get away from this place, cool down a bit. "I'll be back around eleven, okay?" A quick glance at the clock told me it was only eight thirty.

Emmett nodded his assent. "Watch the place, okay? Don't let any undesirables in."

Emmett knew what undesirables were. Any cops that weren't bought, extremely drunk punters, men on drugs - I didn't tolerate that shit in his businesses.

I grabbed my jacket and left the building, quickly racing out of the underground parking lot in his Aston Martin. I had bought it a few years ago; it was prime condition; my baby. I loved that car.

I slowed down when I reached the streets, because I really wasn't looking to run anyone over. So I drove slow, looking out the window, taking in the bright lights and night life of New York City.

I passed a few bars, and briefly considered going in, but then I decided against it. There was alcohol sold at any of my places, after all. I didn't need to go somewhere else for it, and besides, I wasn't really interested in getting piss roaring drunk.

The flashing lights of a stripper joint, Moan, caught my attention, and I toyed with the idea of going in. But I wasn't really interested in seeing other men leering at the same girls I would be.

I would pick up a hooker from a corner, I decided. It would be my first time picking up someone, as I had never needed to pay for sex before. But I was sure it would be enjoyable. After all, these girls were paid and experienced.

I cruised into Harlem, already bored. I saw a few blondes preening near street signs, their bodies almost wrapped around the poles, but they were downright ugly. I at least wanted a semi good looking face to look at while I was fucking her.

That was when I saw her.

She was framed in a doorstep, a big fur coat - probably fake leopard - wrapped around her. She had her head up, though, and a small smile painted on her lips, as well as bright red lipstick, drawn in a perfect Cupid's bow. Her hair was coloured mahogany and she seemed to exude an unidentifiable aura, something that hung about her that promised fulfilment and positively oozed sex.

I slammed on the brake, effectively jerking the Aston Martin to a stop. I continued to stare at her, enthralled, and when she glanced my way, startled by the noise of my car, our eyes met and I smiled at her. She smiled back, which brought out a dimple in her cheek. And that was when I realized that this girl was way too young to be a hooker.

I undid my seat belt and jumped out of the car, heading across the street towards her. She stood up as I approached, and I could see her coat really was leopard fur; it looked real. She was wearing a red lingerie set underneath, from what I could see through the crack.

How the fuck did a young prostitute have enough money to buy a real fur coat?

Maybe she was good in bed...

My mind was awash in fantasies before I could displace them. Me with her, bent over my bed, her grabbing at the headboard with both hands while I pounded her from behind...taking her up against the shower wall, her legs wrapped around my waist...

I frantically shook my head, trying to will away the sexual images and boner at the same time.

"Hi, do you need some company?" Her voice was low and sultry.

"Yes I do, as a matter of fact. How old are you, sweetheart?"

She pressed herself against me, looking up with chocolate eyes that were sinfully delicious.

"Nineteen, sir."

"Why does a beautiful nineteen year old girl like you need to be a prostitute?"

Fuck. I was flirting with her, despite her age. I was only twenty-three, but still - this girl was basically a teenager.

"Just to make a living. It's not something I want to do." Her accent was clearly straight from Harlem. No exotic breeding for this girl.

"Would you mind continuing this business back at my place?"

We were both well aware it was just a formality. I didn't need to ask, and she didn't need to offer. It was just a business deal.

But this girl...I found that I actually wanted to know her as well. Pussy was pussy, and I was no stranger to it, but she was different.

I wanted to laugh at the irony of it. Girl was a hooker, and yet she wasn't just pussy to me. It was classic.

"Sure," she responded, keeping her voice low. "Lead the way."

"Wait," I ordered, holding up one of my hands.

"What's your name?"

She smiled sexily, showing a sliver of white even teeth. "Bella."

I extended my hand to her, and she took it, intertwining it with her own silky palm. I looked down at our joined hands, and an unexplainable thrill shot through me.

"Nice to meet you, Bella. I'm Edward."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**I suppose I wasn't clear about how I came about writing this story before. My good friend,_ hotlyinfatuated, _had started writing out the first chapter of this story on word a few months ago, with much support from me and her other friends on fanfiction. She hadn't published it yet, but we were pushing her too. So, her stepfather died a few weeks ago, R.I.P Stephen, and she posted the chapter she had written soon after. But then, she decided writing on here was too much, and so she stopped. Since I already knew about You Set My Soul Alight I asked if I could continue it in her honour, and she agreed. so here I am, continuing her story, one of the best writers on here I have known, and I feel greatly honoured to be writing it. All credit goes to her.**

**So, now you know, and technically this is the first chapter.**

* * *

"Likewise." Bella glanced at me out of the corner of her eye. "Let's get this show on the road, shall we?"

"Sure." I guided her towards my car, my hand fitting comfortably on her lower back, the fur coat soft and unfamiliar underneath my fingers. I could barely feel her through it, so I tightened my fingers slightly, wanting to get a better grip. If she noticed, she didn't acknowledge the gesture, her face remaining impassive.

She glanced at me a few times on the way back to my house, as if she was sizing me up. Probably wondering what I liked.

"So...what area do you live in?"

I smiled. "Upper East Side, actually."

Her eyes opened wide. No doubt Bella had ever met a person who lived on the rich side of New York City, considering her profession. This had to be an entirely new experience for her...well, except for the sex.

"That's lovely. Fifth Avenue?" She was fishing. I hoped she didn't have a tendency towards thievery of her clients. I truly wasn't interested in calling the police, now or ever. I had a feeling they wouldn't look too kindly on my profession if they found out.

"Yeah."

"Wonderful." She faced the front of the car again, away from me, and I couldn't read the expression in her eyes, her face awash in headlights.

It only took us ten minutes to get to my apartment, and by then I was aroused, although covering it quite well. The girl was pretty, she had a lilt to her voice I found attractive, and, what was the most astounding thing of all, she was completely innocent while unexpectedly alluring. It was mind boggling as to how someone could be sexy and innocent at the same time, but she pulled it off.

"Nice place." She was walking around, inspecting the place. I looked around the room, wondering what she saw in it.

The apartment that I had bought had been furnished with pale blue walls, gleaming wooden floors, and situated French oak tables everywhere. I also had lots of famous paintings strung up around the apartment that would impress anyone who knew anything about art, lots of black leather and suede sofas, as well as my brand new laptop and television in plain view. I would have to watch her.

"Yeah." I nodded noncommittally.

"How did you come by it?"

I chuckled uncomfortably, well aware that was a loaded question. I didn't want to tell her what I did for a living, in case she was the type of do gooder to go to the police. It was unlikely and I didn't think that she would, because...well, to be blunt, she was a hooker, but it never hurt to be too careful.

"I inherited a lot of money from my parents, and I bought it using that," I lied smoothly.

"Oh. Trust fund brat, huh?" She looked at me, her eyes suddenly piercing and hard, as if she didn't believe me for a second.

I was becoming uncomfortable with all the questions she was asking and decided to change the subject. "How about we just do what we came here to do?"

She smiled, although I detected a hint of nervousness. She took off her coat, throwing it carelessly in the corner, and then moved towards me seductively and I leaned down and captured her lips with my own, briefly pulling back to ask my own questions.

"You don't have any diseases, do you?"

"God, no. I haven't been doing this long, and I made sure I kept clean." The girl's tone held a hint of indignation at my rude question, but she didn't voice her complaints. That was good, I was too impatient—and frankly, didn't care—to hear a woman lecture me on the bluntness of my words.

"Good to know."

My eager mouth pressed against hers again, and a rush of electricity seemed to pass through my body. My eyes opened to see her own wide chocolate ones looking back at me.

My hands touched Bella's body while my tongue roamed her mouth. I massaged my tongue with hers while expertly undoing my belt and then unclasping her bra. She had to release me briefly while I got her bra off and I stepped back to admire her body. I moved back to her, with her now clad only in ice blue panties, and felt pre cum ooze from my dick at the glorious sight. Her slender, long arms came up around my neck and she kissed me hungrily. Her naked, full breasts pressed up against my chest and my dick twitched with sensation.

"Let's get your clothes off, shall we?" She was smiling at me, but I thought I saw a flicker of regret in her eyes. Regret for what, I wonder? Accepting my offer? Letting it come this far? Becoming a whore at all?

She pulled down my pants while I undid the buttons on my shirt, instantly pulling it off. I didn't want any barriers in the way. I stepped out of the pants, feeling vulnerable. I was only clad in boxers.

Bella had dropped to her knees and was staring at the pitching tent underneath my underwear. "You're huge."

I laughed. "Thank you." I had been told that many times by reverent women, but it seemed even more important coming out of her mouth.

She suddenly clasped her hand around my cock, through my boxers, and I moaned. It was so sudden, such a strong sensation, that I just couldn't help tugged down my boxers, freeing my dick in all it's glory. She clasped it again, and just the feel of her warm hand on me made me cum right there. Bella stroked me roughly, professionally. Her other hand played with my balls while she rubbed up and down on my dick. I felt myself beginning to cum, just from that. But then she suddenly pulled away. I looked down, frowning at the loss of contact, but my dick jumped again when I saw what she was readying to do.

Her hot, red lipsticked mouth was approaching my cock, and then suddenly she had it in her mouth. She swallowed deeply around my cock, taking all of it in her mouth, and the sensation was just too much. Bella moved her mouth up and down my shaft slowly and tantalisingly, eliciting one of the most dangerous, loudest moans from my chest. She took that as an indication to keep going, and she moved faster, swirling her tongue around the tip as she sucked up and down. I fisted my hands in her hair, fucking her warm mouth with my erect dick.

I looked down to see one of her nimble hands fucking herself, her fingers thrusting in and out of her soaking wet pussy, and then I felt her other hand roughly cupping my balls, squeezing them in her small hand before releasing them, and repeating the motion. The sensation, as well as the vision before me, was just too much to handle.

I started to shake as I felt my climax building. "I'm...gonna...cum," I panted out, warning her to get off me, but she continued to suck at me, making erotic slurping noises. With a rush, I shot my load straight into her waiting, hot mouth, and I collapsed. I watched her in dazed fascination as she swallowed it all, and then removed herself from my dick, licking her lips.

"You ready for round two?"

Before I could say anything, she had pushed me up and pinned me against the wall, her mouth desperately attacking mine. She eagerly wrapped her slim legs around my waist, and I rubbed my dick up and down her wet slit for a few moments, enjoying watching her squirm, as well as the dark hazy look of desire Bella had in her eyes.

"Stop fucking with me," she growled, and I smirked, my whole body sweaty, but gave in to her and thrust against her body roughly, burying me to her cervix. She moaned and immediately clenched her walls around me, losing myself in her body. I almost came from the feeling of her surrounding me so warmly completely.

I switched positions, moving quickly so she was against the wall, and began thrusting in and out her, fast and hard, so she was repeatedly slammed into the wall. She screamed every time her back and head collided with the wall, and at that moment I was so glad that I ran every morning. My legs were built for this kind of stamina.

"Fuck, you're so good, Edward..." She moaned and I wasn't sure if it was real, genuine, but I would take it as though it was. It didn't matter anyway. "Yeah, baby. I know you want my dick. Do you like it rough?"

"Uhh...mhhmmm..." Bella was barely coherent, but I made her look up at me, my finger pushing roughly under her chin. "Do you like it rough?" I demanded loudly, and squeezed her breast, hard, when she didn't answer. "Answer me."

"Mhmm...uhhh...SHIT!" Bella screamed as my hand travelled down between us and began playing with her clit, pinching and rubbing it. "Oh, god, Edward!"

I growled. "You like that, don't you?" I asked, grasping Bella's firm ass in both hands. "You dirty girl...how many other men have you fucked, and begged for more?"

"Only you, Edward," She moaned, and I found great satisfaction in the way I had her saying exactly what I wanted to hear, without even trying. She was lying, of course, but I found pleasure in having the power to make her say these things, to make her want to please me so much that she was lying through her teeth.

"Good girl. You're mine. Repeat it. I want to hear you say that you're mine!"

"I'm yours, Edward! OH, GOD!" She screamed. I crashed my hands down onto her hips and slammed her against my whole body, making her thrust up and down on my dick. She began to moan loudly, her juices flowing freely, spilling out of her and coating my cock. I knew her orgasm was fast approaching, judging by the shivers and moaning that was coming from her.

I began to pound into her relentlessly, dripping sweat, mingling with hers. I raised my head up to look into her eyes and it was like we just connected in that moment.

It was such an addictive feeling that my climax happened immediately.

Several seconds later, Bella's "FUCK YES!" signified that she was having her own orgasm, and once she finished shaking, we collapsed on each other, sweaty and satisfied ...for now.

Three hours later, I was lying exhausted in my bed, idly talking with Bella when my phone rang. I extracted it from the bedside table, ignoring Bella's confused look.

"Yeah?"

"Edward. Where the fuck are you? You were supposed to be here half an hour ago, dickhead. People are pissed," Alice snapped.

I held the phone away from my ear and sighed. "I'm kind of busy right now," I said, pointedly looking down at Bella.

"I don't care how fucking busy you are, get your ass into your fucking car and back into Underground now. I'll see you here in fifteen minutes." And with that parting snap Alice disconnected, probably off to screw Jasper again before I got there.

I sighed and sat up, rubbing my hair with my hand. "I have to go."

Bella sat up too, the top sheet clutched around her chest. A modest girl, which was surprising, considering the sexual acrobatics we just had, where she acted like an animal, wild and untamed. "Where?"

I scowled and looked at her. "Work."

"You have to be at work 11 o'clock on a Friday night?"

I laughed internally at the irony. Here she was, a prostitute, wondering why I would have to work at 11 PM. It was hilarious.

"Yes," I said curtly.

She scoffed. "Whatever."

"Are you supposed to be my wife, or something?" I shot back.

She bit her lip and looked down. "No...I just...don't worry."

I immediately felt bad. Something about this girl made me feel guilty. "I'm sorry. I have a bad temper sometimes, and you just pushed my buttons. My...business demands that I go in to work right now. You can come, if you want, or you could stay here, or I could drive you back to your corner...?" I was leaving it up to her, but I really didn't want to return her to her street, or for her to come to my place with me.

"Umm...I understand if this is too forward, but can I stay here?" She looked up at me through her doe eyes, and I couldn't resist.

"Sure." I chuckled at the thought of her thinking she was too forward. If only she knew the type of people I regularly associated with.

Bella looked grateful. "Thank you, Edward. It means a lot."

"Yeah, don't worry about it. As long as you don't steal anything," I added. She blushed and giggled a bit. The sound was like bells.

"I wont. You can trust me."

***

The club was in chaos. People were screaming and shouting in excitement, drinks were overturned, and in the ring, the dogs were responding to the excitement and tension, barking and fighting with each other harder and more viciously than I had ever seen. Among the chaos and the crowd hovering around the ring, I recognised Dodger winning against another Pit Bull. Alice would be happy.

"What the fuck is going on here?" I shouted to Emmett, who was stationed at the door, like I had ordered.

"Place is a mess. People get drinks, they get drunk, they get excited..." He trailed off. There was no need to go on. I knew the deal.

"FUCK!" I cursed loudly, anger rapidly seeping into me. I seemed to become more like myself the longer I was around people who had the same beliefs and views of the world I did.

The longer I was away from the influence of Bella.

"Get the ones causing trouble out of here, and make sure all the drinks served from now on are watered down. Jesus, I can't leave for four hours without the place falling apart?" I shouted rhetorically. Emmett nodded and muscled away, undoubtedly to do as I asked.

I sighed as I felt the familiar stress settling back in.

Just as Emmett left, Alice approached me, fire in her eyes. I held an arm up to forestall her. "Relax, Alice. I know leaving was a mistake. No need to get pissy."

She ignored me and started to lecture me anyway. "Edward, you can't just fucking leave here. Remember when we first started this place? You promised you would do your best for it, so it would succeed and fucking flourish! That doesn't include fucking gallivanting off whenever you feel like it!" She fired off.

Her anger only sparked my own. Another trait we shared. "Ex_cuse _me, Alice? If you remember correctly, _I_ was the one who decided to start this, and you just hopped on the bandwagon. Don't lecture me about responsibility, because I'm not the twenty two year old who lets men use and fucking abuse her!"

I was on a roll. Ignoring the fascinated customers around us, listening to our conversation, I continued to yell at my sister.

"And speaking of using and abusing, what the fuck was with Jasper's little message earlier!" I hissed. "And it was also reported to me that you were laughing! You KNEW how angry I would get! You fucking knew, Alice! Why the fuck would you encourage that shit, Alice? Hmm?" I was fuming, the anger coming off me in waves. I was literally shaking with fury.

Alice knew when she had pushed me too far. She dropped her eyes to the floor and spoke in a quiet voice. "I'm sorry Edward. I...well, there's no excuse. And I'm sorry for yelling at you. You know how I get."

I was able to breathe properly again, my rage subsiding as quickly as it had risen. "Thanks, Alice." I took a look around. "Where is Jasper, by the way?"

Alice sighed heavily. "He had to go home. His wife called," She said despondently.

I felt bad for her. It wouldn't be easy getting involved with a married man, and Alice was hopelessly in love with Jasper Hale. I didn't like him—he was one of the most obnoxious, dangerous men on the planet—but he was good for my sister. And she wanted him, so of course she was going to get him. And besides, I reasoned, you didn't control who you fell in love with. It wasn't her fault; it was out of her hands.

"Alice..." I started.

Alice snapped her eyes to me. "Don't try and coddle me, Edward. I just wish there was some way to get rid of the wife..."

She trailed off hopefully, looking up at me. It was clear what she wanted.

I had to laugh. "Alice, why don't you get Jasper to kill her, or divorce her, or something?"

She shook her head emphatically. "One, if he had her murdered, he would feel bad afterwards, and I don't want his emotional baggage. And two, if he divorces her, she'll fight for half, or some unreasonable bullshit, she's a real bitch. No, she has to be the one to get rid of him."

I just barely hid a smile. Despite the fact that I sincerely doubted Hale would feel bad about anything, only Alice, who lived by double standards all her life, would consider a poor wife who only wanted half of her belongings, after divorce with a man she had lived with for five years, unreasonable and a real bitch. She would never admit that she would do the exact same thing his wife would, if she was in the position Jasper's wife would be.

"Really? She always seemed very nice to me. She doesn't seem like the type to divorce."

"Hmm...Edward, she likes you, she knows you...you could do it!"

I arched an eyebrow. "I'm not going to kill the girl to make way for you, Alice. I'm not that heartless."

"Could've fooled me," Alice muttered.

I laughed even harder at how petulant she was; arms crossed, face in full pout mode. "What's her name anyway? Rhiannon? Raisa?"

"Rosalie. And she's always had a tiny crush on you, Edward."

"Really?" I found myself fascinated, and tried to conjure a picture of the girl in my mind, to no avail. "What does she look like?"

"She's tall, blonde, gorgeous. Not your type, but she is extraordinarily beautiful, I'll admit that. I can see why Jasper married her," Alice told me.

I thought about sex, then briefly decided against it, before Alice had even mentioned it. Fucking her would cause too many problems."You're right, she's not my type. Fake blonde or real?"

"Real."

Wow. "Maybe she is my type."

Alice chuckled, then her eyes opened wide, as if an idea had just occurred to her. I was already two steps ahead. "Edward!"

"What, Alice?" I wasn't going to make it easy for her.

"Edward." She raised her brows meaningfully.

"No. No, Alice. _No."_

"Please?" She was begging me with her eyes. "If you fuck her, and convince her to divorce Jasper, then he and I can be together, publicly."

I shook my head emphatically. "No. Find someone else. I'm not doing it."

"Why not?" she asked. Fuck. Her suspicion was raised, and she was on alert. "You're hiding something. Why won't you do it?"

I looked around the club, relieved it had calmed down while avoiding her eyes. "I'm not hiding anything. I just dont want to do it."

She was unrelenting. "Bullshit. Come on, you've never said no to pussy before. What's the deal?"

God, Alice was so crass. "There's no deal. Christ, you don't even know for sure if Rosalie would be interested."

"Yes, I do. I know her type. She'd love you. And don't try to distract me. What are you hiding?"

I didn't answer, and she looked at me carefully. I looked away, afraid she'd see the truth in my eyes. She saw it anyway, of course.

"A girl? Did you meet someone?"

"No."

"You did. Don't lie. Who is she?"

"There's no she. Mind your own business."

"Who exactly do you think you're talking to? I'm your sister. I know you better than anyone, even yourself. And dont tell me to mind my own business—you are my business."

I groaned. Alice was right, of course. She did know me better than anyone else—it just came with the territory of living with someone since you were a baby. I just didn't know how she could be so damn spot on, all the time. She was too perceptive for her own good.

"I didn't meet anyone. There is no girl," I muttered. That was true enough.

A subtle gleam came to her eye, as if she'd thought of something good. She quickly turned away from me. "I'm going to my office, Edward, to call Jasper. Try and find someone for Rosalie to sleep with. And spend a few minutes socialising out there—the punters missed you."

I groaned, but reluctantly headed out to the main arena, talking and chatting with some of the better clients. We joked about the dogs, I encouraged them to bet, asked about their week—normal routine stuff. It had become so much a part of my everyday schedule that I was certain I could rattle every word I spoke off like an automaton.

By the time I headed back to my office it was nearly twelve thirty. I had spent half an hour out there. Alice and I had separate offices at each end of the place. Mine was closer to the front, because I was the owner, while she—technically only—was my assistant.

Emmett was there, laid back in his chair and monitoring the fights going on below, as usual. I nodded to him. "Hey, Emmett."

"Mr Cullen," he returned, sitting up and taking notice. He was a good man, always had good advice with the club and so on. Maybe he could help.

"Emmett, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, boss." He looked at me curiously, obviously wondering what I would need to ask him. I plunged ahead.

"Do you think hookers are trustworthy?"

Emmett looked shocked, silent for a few seconds, and then finally put a finger to his lips. I stared at him, confused, watching as he grabbed a pen and a piece of paper and quickly wrote something on it, thrusting the paper at me.

I glanced down at it, and my confused expression instantly turned to rage.

_Don't say anything else, sir. Alice planted a bug in here earlier, saying something about a girl. I tried to stop her, but she was insistent._

Fuck. Fucking _Alice. _

As I expected, a few minutes later Alice came barging through the door, her face alight with humour and curiosity. She had figured it out.

"The girl is a _hooker, _Edward?!"

* * *

**So, better? I hope everyone is liking this story and I just wanted to say thank you for the support/reviews/fav adds/ story alerts ive received already. your amazing, and I know that _hotlyinfatuated _would just love this.**


End file.
